I remember when I started at the farm, I'd only gone to install some camera's and stayed for 4 years, I had my own bench in a quiet corner and set about creating a leccy shop. It was pretty cold in winter and I used to go in, make a hot chocolate, light a fag and sit at my bench ( I was building some panels at the time) anyway one of the lads came in and took one look at me, "the old farmer won't be happy with you, he doesn't like people having a drink outside brew time" he told me, it was bitter cold that week and to be honest the hot drink was more to warm my fingers up than anything else. Anyway along comes the old guy, has a look and wandered off, a while later he came back, and I've got another drink, but the work is going well. The following day he comes back again, now, not only have I got my drink, but I've got an ashtray, he looks at me, looks at the brew and the fag in the ashtray, and rubbed his hands together, "it's bleeding freezing in here mate, you need a heater" and wandered off. A couple of hours later the other lads arrived and built a sort of polythene tent over my 'leccy shop' then brought me a heater! Nobody knew why the old guy was being so nice to me, it was only when the job was done and they found out how much I was saving the farm by making my own panels that they finally worked out why the old fella wasn't bothered about me drinking and smoking at my bench. Money really does talk, especially when you are dealing with farmers, I was going through a bad patch health wise at the time and sometimes I'd not turn up until about 4 pm then work through until the early hours, again he never bothered, not until I went off on one. I arrived at about 3 pm feeling very restless, I got into the job and decided to install some cables, I got so chilled I lost track of time, I remember it going dark, then hours later the farmer appeared, "ain't you got a home to go to?" he asked, "yes why?" I replied, "well, it's nearly 4 am and I'd like to go to bed, so why don't you go home," he said. I took the hint and went, happy times they were.
